Madeleine Granvik

Madeleine Granvik PhD, Associate Professor in landscape planning. For 22 years I worked at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, conducting research in planning for sustainable development and management of urban-rural interactions, with focus on Food Systems Planning. I have also a background in the field of sustainable communities and densification as a planning strategy. Since 2020 I am a senior lecturer at NRHU and since 2017 the Director of the Baltic University Programme.

Associate Professor in landscape planning with focus on Food Systems Planning. Several empirical studies on policy, planning and practice related to local food systems have been conducted in a Swedish context but also in a Baltic Sea Region perspective in the latest 15 years. Since 2020 I am affiliated at the research program Natural Resources and Sustainable Development at Uppsala University and since 2017 having the position as the Director of the Baltic University Programme, Uppsala University.

Ongoing research:

The research project "Integrated planning – municipalities’ and regional actors’ roles and collaborations for resilient regional food systems", financed by Formas for four years, started January 2022. The project explores how municipalities work with local food systems, analysed in an integrated planning perspective. The study aims to identify obstacles, opportunities, innovative approaches, and possible ways to strengthen integrated planning - both within municipalities, between municipalities and between
municipalities and other regional and local key actors. Today, there is a lack of leadership working for resilient regional and local food systems. The research assumes that Swedish municipalities with their multiple roles, commitments and liabilities have a potential in taking an overall role to coordinate and lead such a work. The project will therefore also investigate how collaborations can be created and how existing external projects can be integrated in the work of municipalities. A national study will be conducted on municipalities' strategies, planning tools and working methods, which is then followed up by in-depth case studies in three selected municipalities. In parallel, analyzes are made of the work of regional and local key actors. Co-production of knowledge with these key actors is used to strengthen the municipalities' capacity working for resilient food systems at local and regional level. The case studies will be analysed out from a resilience capacities framework.

The research project "Resilient food supply in Eastern Mid-Swedish municipalities - policy, planning and practice with a focus on food preparedness and preservation of farmland in a local and regional perspective" financed by Formas for three years, started January 2023. The project contributes to research on food preparedness and preservation of agricultural land, focusing on the regional and municipal planning, policy and practice in a Swedish context. The study aims to identify obstacles, possibilities and goal conflicts; explore innovative initiatives and possible ways to strengthen the cooperation within and between municipalities. Municipalities have, due to their many responsibilities and remits, a central role regarding food preparedness and preservation of agricultural land. How municipalities should act in crises and war is regulated in the Law (2006:544) on municipal measures before and during extraordinary events in peacetime as well during heightened alert. Swedish municipalities have planning monopoly for the land which includes agricultural land. According to the Environment Act, agriculture is of national interest and municipalities ought to adhere to the law regulating agricultural land (MB 3:4). In February 2024, a Swedish Government Official Report suggested a new law for food preparedness, where the responsibility of municipalities is stressed. (Swedish Government Official Report, 2024). A regional survey on municipal strategies and planning tools regarding agricultural land and local food preparedness will be conducted in the Eastern Mid-Sweden. The survey will then be followed up by case studies in three selected municipalities.

Some publication:

Berg, P.G., Eriksson, F., Granvik, M., Hedfors, P and Eriksson, T. (2024) High Intensive Densification (HID) – A Challenge for Urban Greening. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. In review.

Granvik, M. (2024). Funktionell förtätning – med utgångspunkt i människors upplevelser och platsers förutsättningar. In: Den byggda formens betydelse, Boverket.

Ambros, P., Granvik, M. . (2020) Trends in Agricultural Land in EU Countries of the Baltic Sea Region from the Perspective of Resilience and Food Security. Sustainability, 12, 5851; https://doi:10.3390/su12145851

Bergquist, D.; Garcia-Caro, D.; Joosse, S.; Granvik, M.; Peniche, F. The Sustainability of Living in a “Green” Urban District: An Emergy Perspective. Sustainability, 12, 5661; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145661

Berg, P. & Granvik, M. (2018). Funktionell täthet – att balansera täthet och rymlighet i svenska städer. In: Olshammar, G,; Olsson, K. and Siesjö, B. Hus mot himlen hållbar hybris? Bokförlaget Arena. Malmö. ISBN 978-91-7843-521-0.

Granvik, M., Joosse, S., Hunt, A. and Hallberg, I. (2017) Confusion and Misunderstanding – Interpretations and Definitions of Local Food. Sustainability, 9, 1981, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su9111981

Franzese, P.P., Pastorella, F., Paletto, A., Nikodinoska, N. and Granvik, M. (2017) Assessing, valuing and mapping ecosystem services at city level. The case of Uppsala (Sweden). Ecological Modelling

Randrup, T., Delshammar, T. and Granvik, M. (Ed.) (2016) Governance and green urban areas, Nordic Journal of Architectural Research., 28:3, 1-189.

Granvik, M., Jacobsson, T., Blix-Germundsson, L. and Larsson, A. (2015) ‘The approach of Swedish municipalities to the preservation of agricultural land in a planning context’, Int. J. Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp.190–204.

Callau, S. & Granvik, M. (2015). I am not an urban farmer. Am I? In: Lohrberg, F.; Licka, L.; Scazzosi, L. and Timpe, A. (Eds.) Urban Agriculture Europe. jovis Verlag GmbH. Berlin. ISBN 978-3-86859-371-612.2015.

Granvik, M. & Hedfors, P. (2015) Evergreen issues of planning? Learning from history for sustainable urban-rural systems landscapes, European Journal of Spatial Development, Online publication date: December 2015.

Granvik, M. and Berg, P.G. (Ed.) (2014) Densification as a planning strategy. Nordic Journal of Architectural Research., 26:2, 1-206.

Ignatieva, M. and Granvik, M. (Ed.) (2013) Green Infrastructure – from global to local. Nordic Journal of Architectural Research, 25:2, pp. 1-274.

Granvik, M. (2013) Interaktion mellan stad och land i fysisk planering - Lokaliseringsprocesser för livsmedelssystem i Sveriges kommuner. In: Bonow, M.; Rytkönen, P. & Wramner, P. (Eds.) Från matproduktion till gastronomi. Institutionen för Livsvetenskaper, Södertörns högskola.

Berg, P.G., Ignatieva, M., Granvik, M. and Hedfors, P. (2013) Green-blue Infrastructure in Urban-Rural Landscapes – introducing Resilient Citylands. Nordic Journal of Architectural Research. 25:2, pp. 11-42.

Granvik, M. (2012) The Localisation of Food Systems - An Emerging Issue for Swedish Municipal Authorities. International Planning Studies, 17:2, pp. 113-124.